The Innocence of a Child
by JackBoy15
Summary: Allie Mitchell always admired her brother's determination, but was keeping a deadly secret from him and when he learn what she has been keeping from him for so long, how will he reach and will be forced to choose between his dream of becoming a Fire Pilot or his sister innocence. Warning abuse mentioned and possible spanking of a child!
1. Chapter 1

I was very little, only just a few hours old when I had lost my Momma, dying not long after I had been born so I don't remember anything about her as I was just a newborn and I have always blamed myself for killing her during childbirth.

Though my much older half-brother, Pete who is a Naval Aviator for the United States Navy and claims he is one of the best so haven't seen him in over six months, says Momma dying wasn't my fault as she had already been sick and tells me all about her so that I will know all about our Mom and know that she is still with me in my heart, even if I can't remember her.

After my Mom died in childbirth, lived with my Grandma and Pete for four years until I was forced to go live with my father I never met and his new bitch wife, Rita Wilson that he just recently married, with her three cruel teenage sons and I hate living with them, wishing I could just go back to living with my older brother, though I know that is just impossible right now with Pete being aboard a ship in the Navy.

My father's new wife doesn't really treat me too well and her sons treat me even worse if that is even possible, but my father hasn't done a damn thing to protect me from them and punishes me cruelly when I fight back to protect myself from Rita when she is abusing me while my father just sits there and does nothing to protect me.

That is why I refuse to have his last name as I didn't want anything that belonged to him, preferring to keep the Mitchell name that my Mom gave me which had belonged to Pete's Dad who was shot down in his Fire jet when Pete was younger than me and why he wants to be a Fire Pilot.

I always admired Pete for wanting to become a Fire Pilot to honor his own father, though his father is actually one that deserves to be honored and remembered, unlike my own sad excuse for a father, and wished that Pete could have gotten closure for when his father went missing.

Pete said they never found his body and remember my father once saying that Pete was just going to end up like his father, gunned down with no traces of a body, and giving me nightmares for months that what happened to his father is going to happen to Pete and I can't lose him too, with Mom and Grandma gone now, he really is the only family that I got.

I have always wondered how my father even got custody of me when I was four as my Grandma would never have called him, not like she knew who he was back then as Momma didn't put his name down on my birth certificate, she had put down Duke Mitchell, Pete's father, as my father, despite him having already been deceased for years before I was born.

Momma obviously had never wanted my father to be part of my life or she never would have left his name off my birth certificate and didn't want me being labeled a bastard child, even if technically that is what I am though Pete would tan my hide if he ever heard me saying that.

Though, somehow Child Services had gotten involved and was taken away from a safe environment with my brother and Grandma when I was four years old for a supposed unfit environment and placing me with my father who I didn't know and who just neglects me and mostly leaves me to fend for myself, and only keeping me around because he gets paid money by the government to take care of me.

It just made no sense that I had to go live with a strange man that I didn't even know and just because this man was my father by blood who doesn't even deserve the title and he could have been a pedophile or a serial killer for all they knew, not like they actually cared what happened to me.

Though even after six years of barely acknowledging my very existence, I still don't understand why I was removed by the state when I was safe and well cared for while living with my Grandma and Pete, instead of being malnourished and neglected as I have been while sleeping in a cold attic for the last six years.

My father has no idea that I have managed to stay in contact with Pete over the years, believing that Pete had went on with his career and never gave me a second thought as far as he was concerned, but Pete and I write weekly and see him one weekend every other month when my father thinks I am visiting Grandma for the weekend as I never told him that Grandma had passed away.

Though I don't really talk to my father too much and he wouldn't have cared anyway and I use it as an excuse so that I can visit Pete as I know Grandma would have wanted me to stay in contact with my older brother, knowing that my father wouldn't want me to have any contact with him, but Pete is my brother and just that alone, connects us together and even though my father and I share the same DNA, I am a Mitchell at heart, whether my father likes it or not and nothing is ever going to change that.

I may not be a Mitchell by blood, but Pete says that doesn't matter to him because as far as my brother was concerned, I am a Mitchell by heart and I was his little sister and always will be which automatically makes me a Mitchell in his eyes, with my love for stirring up trouble which always drives my older brother crazy and getting into mischief that gets me in more trouble than I can even begin to count, but so do love getting a rise out of my no good father which always makes it worth it though I seem to always get in much more trouble with my brother than I ever did with my father .

Though I have no intention of becoming a Fire Pilot like my brother, but I don't think girls are actually allowed to become one, I am always wanting to be just like my brother and we are similar in many ways with our smart mouths and not knowing when to just keep it shut or our love to stir trouble to those we hate, though sometimes Pete can be hypocritical, scolding me for doing something when he is doing it himself, but I guess most protective older brothers are like that, but one thing that I don't share with Pete is my anger from feeling neglected and my tantrums that he has yet to witness.

I know it isn't fair of me, but sometimes I have anger towards Pete when I feel neglected as he is never there when I really need him to be, only when it is convenient for him and though I know he is honoring his Dad by being a Fire Pilot and I don't want to seem selfish, but feel sometimes that he doesn't care if I am being mistreated, not that I actually told him what goes on behind close doors.

It seems that whenever I am the one calling him and just need him to make me feel better, I always get, " I'm real busy right now" or " I'll call you right back", but takes three days to call back, too busy doing more important things than hearing your little sister's pleas for help and by then, I don't even bother telling him the reason why I called; just let him talk and hardly notices I haven't told him anything that has been going on with me.

I was skipping school again as I didn't feel like dealing with my History teacher who seems to hate me with passion for no damn reason and is always verbally attacking me even though I am the one with the best grades in the class that would make my brother proud if he ever gets the chance to call me back as my father isn't going to care.

He doesn't seem to even care that I barely attend school and school hardly notices when I am absent, not that I care about school much as it just isn't challenging enough for me anymore, though I am pretty sure Pete will blow up at me if he knew that, even though I am getting the top grades in almost every one of my classes, but I don't think my brother will see it that way.

My father is drunk again as his works hours have been cut which is probably his own damn fault and his new wife has been laid off again from another job and I do not want to be in that house with her right now because she will just take it out on me like she always does.

She likes to take all her anger and frustrations out on me even though I am just a ten year old girl as she enjoys watching me suffer because for some reason, she doesn't like me even if was her own damn attitude and temper that was the reason she got fired from yet another waitressing job.

So, now we were back to being a family of six, surviving off one small paycheck and my father barely makes part-time with his painting job and half the time, he doesn't even bother showing up even if it meant feeding his own family as he cares more about getting drunk and gambling away half his money than supporting his family.

Since his wife is going to be hanging around the house for the next few weeks which is how long it is going to take her to find a job with no references, I had no intention of being anywhere near her anytime soon, especially with the way she treats me, so I was hiding in my secret place that I have only ever told Pete about, the only one who I could ever trust with my secret.

I just lay there while I write one of my stories in my journal as Pete I need a way to express my imagination because I let my imagination run wild with my stories and easily get distracted sometimes, a trait that I get from my Momma as Grandma said Momma had an overactive imagination when she was my age, but unlike Momma, I had no one to tell my stories to.

That is why Pete got me a journal so I could write down all my stories that I have in my head so I don't go crazy with not being able to share them with anyone as I was hyperactive enough as it is without going crazy from not being able to share and I could tell all my stories to him when I get to go visit him next.

I intended to share all my stories that I thought up of with Pete the next time I see him and probably going to make him crazy with my insane stories, forgetting sometimes that they are just stories that I make up on a whim and letting my imagination get away with me and releasing my energy.

Despite hearing thunder in the background, I didn't move from under my favorite tree as I would rather stay under a tree and risk getting electrocuted than feel the wrath of my father's wife who lets her teenage sons 'play with me' though still have no idea what that even means and no one will tell me.

Though I have a bad feeling that it isn't something I should let them do to me which is why I always fight back whenever they claim to want to 'play with me' and have broke one nose and broke the skin from biting that Pete has scolded me about doing and wonder if Pete can explain what them wanting to 'play with me' actually means as I have a feeling they don't exactly want to play with stuffed animals and Barbie dolls.

It was starting to rain down here and knew I should go inside the empty cave nearby my secret place so I didn't get sick as I haven't really had my flu shot this year yet and it was November, but neither has anyone in the house so it wasn't like I was being singled out and just surprised the school hasn't caught up with us yet.

We were the ones they should be most suspicious about as we look the part as a dead- beat family, though never considered them my family, even my father, but I could drop dead right here and he still would not notice or even care and Pete is just too busy for me anymore these days to pay much attention to me.

I wondered if my father was actually right about Pete no longer caring about me as he had his own career and doesn't need his ten year old little sister holding onto him, but if I don't tell my brother how neglected I have been feeling by him soon, one day I am going to accidentally lash out at him in anger and that probably isn't the best way to tell my older brother I feel abandoned by him.

I pulled myself up and headed toward the cave in the downpour, completely drenching my clothes that were sticking to me and had no jacket, having left it at home when I left this morning as I didn't want to be hanging around when Dad and his wife woke up, planning to stay until the downpour stopped.

Though from the looks of it, it doesn't plan to stop anytime soon anyway with the way those dark clouds look, having read about meteorology in the past as I spend most of my time in the library when I'm not here, but was supposed to be at school anyway and it was only early afternoon as even the high schoolers are still in school.

The high school where her sons go, gets out before my school does though don't plan on going home, despite being cold and soaked through the skin until long after they have gone to sleep and if I wasn't so drenched, I would stay out here all night, but wanted to call Pete as I promised myself I would call him today as I haven't heard from him in almost a month and miss hearing from him.

I always liked the rain, it was peaceful and relaxing whenever I just needed to clear my mind though I wasn't exactly a fan of thunder, having always frightened me as a child and gave me a chance to think which isn't something I can really do at home with all the screaming that goes on and they probably never really notice when I am missing.

It isn't like my father is going to come looking for me or anything, he doesn't care about me, he only sees me as something to make profit with and when he no longer gets money from the government for me, I was going to be out on the streets, though I will probably run away long before then.

As long as I can remember, my brother always dreamed of one day becoming a Naval Aviator and loves being in the air and he worked real hard to get where he is today as he didn't have much support with joining the Navy and becoming a Fire Pilot, especially with his teachers at school who didn't really believe he was capable.

Though that is just another way of saying that they didn't think he was smart enough, but he sure proved them wrong and now is one of the best Naval Aviator's in the Navy or so he tells me as sometimes I know Pete can embellish, like I do with my stories and we were more alike than I ever realized.

The rain was slowing down which bummed me out as I knew that I had to head home soon and I didn't want to go home to a drunken father and a violent stepmother who I wish would just drop dead as I would feel so much safer in my own home though don't really consider that house with my father my home.

As far as I was concerned, my home is back in my old house with Grandma, Momma, and Pete, not here where I can't even sleep without being in fear of being hit or getting played with which I still don't understand.

I seriously need to ask my brother about that one, that has me skipping school so much just so I can sleep because I am too scared to sleep with them in the house, and is starting to become seriously unhealthy.

I really need to call Pete and tell him what is going on, but afraid he is just going to shut me down and say he is too busy to deal with me being abused though I know deep down he will always come to my aid when I needed him, saying all I ever have to do is call and he would come running, dropping whatever he is doing, and I still hope that is true because I am starting to see that I am going to need him now more than ever.

It isn't that he doesn't love me because I know Pete loves me, still seeing me as his cute adorable little sister in pigtails, it is like that since joining the Navy, he has been calling me less and less when he used to be devoted to me, and we are slowly drifting apart.

It is like he no longer has any time for me while he is becoming a big shot Fire Pilot, and without Pete, all that I have is my art and photography as I hardly go to school so don't have many friends to talk to, and being all alone on my own and only noticed when my father's new wife or her sons were beating me on me and forcing me to 'play with them' so they could practice, but I was Allie Mitchell, little sister of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and I wasn't going down without a fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: this chapter contains abuse and attempted rape of a minor**

* * *

It was late, almost eleven at night when I finally made it home and there were no lights on in the house, meaning that either Dad forgot to pay the electric bill again or they were passed out which was very likely with my father as I sneaked up my driveway, grateful that we didn't have too many neighbors that paid attention or we would have already had visits from social services by now.

The door was never locked as we had nothing of value in the house unless you want to count my stuffed wolf that I named Wolfie that Pete got for me when I was barely four and am quite attached to him, quietly sneaking in the house and careful to not make any noise, not wanting to wake my father who would beat me bloody for waking him which I learned from a very young age, not giving a rats ass if I was out late; and quietly shutting the door behind me and blew out a sigh of relief when the door didn't squeak behind me.

I was taken by surprise when the lights suddenly turned on, causing me to jump back in shock when I saw my father and new wife sitting on the couch, for once noticing my existence and actually preferred when I was invisible to them as I couldn't get hit when I wasn't noticed, "Alyssa Nikole Stanley, where in the fuck have you been," my Dad's new wife, Rita screamed at me as she got into my face, making me feel threatened and unsafe and was surprised she actually knew my middle name or even that my Dad knew it that my Mom let Pete pick out for me.

"It's Mitchell, not Stanley, just check my damn birth certificate and your not my fucking Mom, why should I tell you anything," I replied back with a snarky attitude, trying to not let her see how frightened I was, that was sure going to get me smacked, but Rita is not my Mom and is the last person I would even want to be my Mom with how abusive she is towards me, calling it discipline and no wonder her three sons are so screwed up, having probably received the same treatment before I came along and became her new punching bag, when she really just hates kids, having no patience for them and lashes out.

I felt a sharp sting across my face that probably could count as a punch, "Don't you dare talk to me that way, I am your mother whether you like it or not, you little bitch as your own damn mother hated you so much that she died on you and your stupid brother could care less if you are dead in a ditch somewhere so we are all you have ;and your name is Stanley, Alyssa, no matter what you might think," Rita screamed at me, swinging her hand back, smacking me hard in the eye, tumbling onto the floor, feeling my left eye swell up and trying not to make a sound as it always seems to make her angrier as she sees it as a sign of disrespect.

My eyesight felt a little blurry from hitting my head on the tile floor, but that didn't stop Rita from grabbing me roughly and pulling me back up, getting into my face and slapping me yet again across the face, "You are one ungrateful brat, you know that! You go on and on about how I am not your mother, girl, but who is the one that looks after you? ME! I do everything for you, trying to teach you right as your father is too lazy to realize how much he screwed up with you and you aren't even my daughter, you little bitch. We clothe you, feed you, and even give you a warm bed to sleep in at night," she said, slamming me into the wall, hard before letting me go and slid down to the floor, feeling dizzy.

"Get the hell up! I am losing patience with you, girl. If it wasn't for you and having another mouth to feed, we could afford more and my precious boys wouldn't doing so much without, but of course you have no where else to go, but I am going to make sure you get the whipping you deserve and will never forget," Rita said with a evil smile on her ugly face that I just wanted to smack right off, but felt too weak to even move, looking over to my Dad and see he wasn't even looking in my direction and not caring that his wife was about to beat his ten year old daughter senseless, but I could never depend on him.

I felt thick leather striking me and blood dripping down from my skin, but didn't move or make a sound as it would only make it so much worse for me if I was disrespectful to her, not like I could move, secretly screaming to myself and begging for the pain to go away and for someone to help me or let me die as anything was better than living like this and not sure how much more I can handle before I lose it; I want Pete, but he is thousands of miles away aboard a ship and without Pete, I'm not sure how much more longer I can last.

It wasn't like I hadn't ever been punished before for actual misbehavior because my Grandma and even Pete who has always been like a parent to me since Mom was taken from me too young and my Dad wasn't exactly father material, spanked me a small handful of times when I was little, but they only ever spanked when they really believed it to be necessary and never with a leather strap as my Dad would use on me when I would annoy him too much, using their hand or sometimes a wooden spoon or brush, depending on what I had done wrong.

It seemed to annoy Rita that I wasn't making any noise and pulled me up and punched me in the stomach, causing me to fall forward and start wheezing as I have struggled with Asthma in the past and probably wouldn't have it so much if I wasn't knocked around so much and used as a family punching bag for any of them to take out their anger and aggression on, "Now you listen good, I am your mother now so you either accept it or get out of my house," she said, spitting in my face in anger and throwing me on the floor, landing on my arm and hearing a crack; and I knew Rita heard it too because I saw her smirk, almost if she was enjoying seeing me in pain.

"Aww, did someone break their little arm? Well, suck it up because we no intention on spending our hard earned money on taking you to the damn emergency room, so you will just have to deal with it. Think of it as punishment for coming home late and skipping school and you will be staying home from school tomorrow, can't have you going to school looking like this. They could take my boys away," she said, stepping on my injured arm and I almost screamed out in agony, but bit my lip to keep myself from doing so, before she kicked me in the ribs a few times and leaving me there to bleed as she went upstairs to bed with Dad who followed close behind, but not before smacking my backside a few times and leaning close to whisper in my ear, "Be grateful that is all I am giving you, girl. It is time you learned your place in this family," he told me harshly before following behind her.

I was just laying on the floor, bleeding and unable to move and realizing one day, she was going to kill me as soon as I became useless to them, leaving Pete with no family and is going to be devastated and knew I had to get out of here soon, hearing loud footsteps on the stairs and didn't have to look to know it was one of her fucking sons coming to 'play with me' as they do after every time she beats me, except this time, I don't think I can fight back and frightens me more than knowing they were going to kill me one day as I couldn't keep my eyes open and Pete says that is a sign of having a concussion.

I felt rough hands grab my hair in a way I never liked and was never this aggressive before and something was telling me to scream for Dad, hoping he would hear me and actually listen this time, "Alyssa, time to wake up! Open your eyes, it's time to play," I hear one of the sons say, unable to quite remember his name right now as I felt my face get smacked, even worse than when Rita did it.

"Damn, she is out of it, dude but at least this way, she can't fight back as the little bitch usually does and want to get in some practice, " I hear one say and still want to know what he means by that as I feel him starting to lift up my skirt and feeling him pulling down my underwear, making me start to fight even with the concussion I have and one of them holding me down so I couldn't fight back so much as I was thrashing on the floor, trying to get away from them, even resorted to screaming for my father though doubt he was going to do anything as he didn't stop Rita from beating me practically to death.

"Stop moving girl and stay still or we will give you a spanking though it doesn't look like you can handle anymore beatings and since this is your first time, we'll go easy on you, but only this time, next time we expect more," one of them said, snickering as I had no idea what they meant as I was roughly turned and a hand was reaching in front, touching me in places I didn't want to be touched and just wanted them to stop and bit down hard on one of them until I could taste blood in my mouth and got punched in my face before I let go.

"Girl, I told you to stop and warned you, but I think I do much worse than a spanking and will have you begging for me to spank you instead. Noah, give us some privacy, will ya," I heard him say, but kept going in and out of consciousness and wanted nothing to do but go next door to a neighbors, begging for help and was too weak to fight him off me and didn't help that I was just ten and he was in high school and played football, feeling him rip off my clothes until I wasn't in nothing but my underwear.

"Logan, are you sure about this, maybe we should just stop, kid doesn't look too bad. I think Mom beat went too far with her this time, maybe we should call an ambulance," I heard the one named Noah said, remembering his name now.

"Noah, your joking right? Mom said we could do whatever we wanted with her as soon as she was done with her as long as we left her alive so we could still get that government check for next month and I am not going to stop just because you feel guilty for some no good kid that isn't worth anything, but sure lets call a fucking ambulance and have to deal with Mom's wrath for doing something behind her back, but make sure you explain to them why her clothes were ripped off her," the one named Logan said, pushing me onto to couch as I cried out.

"Whatever dude, just remember what Mom said, we need that money and is the only reason she is still breathing fresh air, " Noah said, walking back up the stairs away from us as I tried to push Logan off of me, but he was just too strong and was too weak, wanting Pete to come as he always has a way of knowing when I really needed him like right now though he has no idea what goes on at home.

"Stop wasting your energy, Alyssa, I'm not going to stop so you might as well give in to what I want, it will make this a whole lot easier for everyone," Logan said, slapping my hand away as I tried to cover myself and moved his hand up my leg and just found myself blacking out, not seeming to be able to fight anymore and unaware of my own surroundings though thought I heard some shouting as if someone just barged in the house and I was suddenly pulled away from Logan by someone unfamiliar, but to weak to fight back from them before he could really 'play with me' and starting to realize what that meant as I started completely losing consciousness.

I kept drifting on and off while someone rough trying to shake me awake, telling me I couldn't sleep just yet, but my body just wasn't listening to what they were telling me as I couldn't seem to stay awake any longer, and I know I shouldn't think like this, but maybe Pete will come see me if he knows I am hurt, especially since I am going to need him now and was probably going to be real mad at me for not telling him what things were like at home, and will probably give me a spanking.

I felt myself being lifted into someone's arms and being wrapped up into someone warm, like a blanket and feeling someone slip something soft into arms that felt like my stuffed wolf and held on to it tighter as I was carried away, unable to open my eyes to see who was carrying me as I slipped into darkness, wanting to see Pete one more time before I go see our Mom.


	3. Chapter 3

I wasn't exactly sure where I was until I remembered the events from the previous night; remembering coming home late, believing everyone to already be asleep and my father and his cold hearted bitch of a wife, Rita who should be arrested though I doubt that was going to happen, beating the crap out of me and Logan touching me in places that didn't seem right to me; and I can't seem to remember much after that, just remember someone carrying me out of my house and was in terrible pain from Rita beating me and some from Logan though felt numb as if drugs were in my system and didn't like that disadvantage.

I have no idea where my Dad is or if he even cares that I am probably missing from the house though I am sure Logan has probably told him that someone took me and Rita could drop dead for all I care after the way she has treated me for the last nine months they have been married, wanting to wake up so I can have someone call Pete to come get me because I really need him right now; I don't understand really what Logan was doing to me, just know that it felt wrong and I have been slowly losing my spirit while living with my abusive drunk father and if I continue like this any longer, I am going to turn into one of those kids that cut themselves and I don't want that to be me.

I felt a warm hand brush against my hair that I didn't recognize, still having dried blood in it as I could feel it sticking to me, causing me to flinch as I only ever let Pete do that to me, but I don't like people touching me even if it was probably just a nurse comin to check on me as it always makes me anxious when people touch me because of my father's cruel treatment towards me and don't feel safe even if Pete doesn't know that as I haven't told him, knowing he have me come live with him and I would just become a burden to him as he probably couldn't be in the Navy because of me; and if I wasn't so drugged up now, I probably would have lashed out in reaction to it.

"Sweetheart, can you hear me," I hear a gentle voice say, but refused to let myself trust the voice, probably a nurse or a doctor, trying to get my attention and feeling very vulnerable and alone here, needing Pete here with me so I was refusing to talk though I don't think I could talk even if I wanted to, maybe if my brother was here I could, but I couldn't do it without him when I already feel so alone.

I slowly opened my eyes and was blinded by the bright light in the room from the sunlight coming through the windows and saw three people looking out, none of who I recognized and causing me to jump back in fear, feeling overwhelmed though they paid no attention to it, "My name is Doctor Elliot, I am the one that has been looking after you since you arrived three days ago with one of your neighbors. Can you tell me your name, honey," she asked me, sweetly and a little too cheery for someone who is lying in a hospital bed, but I just shook my head, unable to find my voice and didn't want to talk to these people that probably wouldn't really care about me if they weren't paid to care, I just wanted my brother.

I saw one of the nurses roll their eyes in annoyance at my refusal to speak, but I wasn't speaking for anything and why should I speak when I was just worthless to everyone and nobody wanted me, not my father who just stood there and watched as I got beat and ignored my pleas of help when I needed him and Pete is on a ship thousands of miles away and I doubt he is going to give up his dream as a Naval aviator for me so why should I waste my time talking when nobody really wants to listen?

"Come on now, I know you a have a beautiful voice in there somewhere, just tell me your name," Doctor Elliot said, encouraging me to speak, but I wasn't speaking for anything, there was no point in it anymore and just shook my head at her, refusing to speak and wish Pete was here to tell me everything was going to be all right and he was going to fix everything, but I wonder if he could fix my crushed and broken heart from always feeling unwanted and only used for profit, wishing I was never born though that is just a fantasy, Pete is much too far away to be here with me.

"It looks like the poor girl is still in shock from the trauma, doctor. The child just woke up after sleeping for three days and the poor thing is traumatized, I doubt Alyssa is going to talk to anyone she doesn't know, not without her brother and maybe not even then. Alyssa will talk when she is good and ready and only then," one of the older nurses said, kindly and reminded me of my grandmother and making me miss her so much who died last Christmas, wanting her to hold me while I sit on her lap and tell me I was going to be ok, but Grandma wasn't here anymore and can't help but feel abandoned by her.

"Your absolutely right Nurse Bettie, I am just used to usually getting children to talk after an abusive experience. I pulled our her file and Alyssa has an older brother, Peter Mitchell, a Lieutenant in the Navy, aboard an aircraft carrier called USS Enterprise so we need to find a way to get hold of him and let him know what is going on so we need to contact the Navy and social services," she said, talking as though I wasn't here, though at least I didn't have to ask them to call my brother, they were already calling him for me.

"Doctor Elliot, the girl has to talk! The damn cops are outside and refusing to leave until they question her. Her dumb neighbor had to go and call the police because her stepbrother was bullying her," the other nurse said, looking slightly younger than Nurse Bettie, but not as nice, looking as though she didn't want to be here and wanted them to just leave me alone so I can go back to sleep.

"Nurse Sue, we can't force her to talk if she doesn't want to, the child is only ten years old and isn't going to talk without someone she knows or trusts in the room with her and they can't legally talk to Alyssa without her brother who is now her legal guardian until other arrangements can be made so tell them she isn't talking and they have to wait for her brother, maybe he can get her to speak," she said as I just closed by eyes and trying to go back to sleep.

"No, that is just unacceptable. The child got just got a good spanking from her stepmother for mouthing off to her. In my day, we would be horse whipped for talking back like that, but now it is all about child abuse, she got what she deserved and now she is refusing to speak! This isn't trauma, this is just misbehavior. If I were you, I would turn her over and smack her rear end a few good times, that will get her talking and stop this nonsense," Nurse Sue said, making me already dislike her and glad my grandmother was never like that with me.

"Nurse Sue! This isn't misbehavior and you know as well as I that we don't have that kind of authority, so please check her Iv before doing the other patients and leave her be. I have to make my rounds. I'll check on her in a hour," Doctor Elliot said before smiling down at me and leaving me with Nurse Sue and just closed my eyes so she wouldn't try and talk to me and I didn't want to talk to her.

I felt like I just took a beating with a two hundred pound wrestler which is about right comparing Rita and Logan, and I was sure my body was covered in bruises, wanting my brother to be here with me more than anything though I doubt he even knows I am in the hospital as it takes a while to get calls through to the Navy ship as I am sure that Nurse Bettie who was kind to me even though I wouldn't talk to her is notifying him and even though I feel we have been drifting apart lately, I do know this, that as soon as my older brother is notified and learns my stepmother beat me to the point where she put me in the hospital from child abuse and that my stepbrother was 'playing with me', leaving me practically for dead, Pete is probably going to fly straight out here to South Carolina from aboard a ship, maybe even flying it himself and risking getting himself disciplinary action.

I tried to get some sleep, but every time I tried to close my eyes, all I saw was those hands coming straight at me and Logan's face and Dad watching as Rita beat me, doing nothing to protect me, but it wasn't a nightmare, it was reality, and than I saw Pete just watching though I knew that would never happen as he would have gone after them and still might once he learns what they have done to me, just letting my imagination run wild again like I always do and finally one of the nurses had to come in to give me a sedative to calm me down because I was restless and kept screaming awake from my nightmares, and Nurse Sue, the mean cranky nurse said I was just being dramatic and kids get hit all the time, though I doubt they were hit to a point of a near death experience.

"Girl, it's not the end of the world, so you got hit. What did you do, badmouth your stepmother. Stop this sulking, you damn well know you deserved to be punished. If it was me that you had badmouthed, you still be over my knee three days later with your bottom bared and getting spanked good and raw, that is the only way to get through with children these days. It is all about child abuse these days," Nurse Sue said, complaining about how it was punishment, knowing I wasn't going to answer back and I shouldn't even be allowed medicine, but she wasn't there and doesn't even know what happened as I haven't spoke up yet and a part of me just wants to curse her off, but feared she would actually follow through with one her threat to spank me when only Grandma and Pete have ever done that, wishing that Nurse Bettie hadn't gone off on her lunch break, leaving me with cranky Nurse Sue and having to listen to her complain that Rita had every right to 'discipline me' as she calls it for talking back and shouldn't be seen as child abuse, despite having been practically beat to death.

"In my day, if we ever talked back to our parents like that, we would have welts on the back of our legs from the severe strapping we would get and teachers wouldn't think anything of it, but now it is all about the protection of the children and if a child just even gets a swat in public, they call it child abuse. A good spanking is what you need, little girl and I am going to make sure that it is done when I tell that Navy brother of yours of your behavior here with all this refusing to speak as you probably haven't had any proper discipline your whole life and suddenly it's child abuse," cranky Nurse Sue said, making me cry and wanting my brother here, just wishing she would just leave me alone so I could go back to being restless without her input.

I really could give a rats ass that she thinks I am faking child abuse and that she just believes that I am just another spoiled brat that has never been properly disciplined and just didn't get her way, but I have been spanked before, just not by my father as those swats he gave me was the most parental thing he has ever done to me, I have had a handful of punishments from both Pete and Grandma, mostly Grandma, so I do know the difference from just getting a spanking when you've done something wrong and just being abused out of anger, but what upsets me the most is having to listen to Nurse Sue talk about how I am just some ungrateful brat that needs more discipline in life and would probably do it herself if she was allowed, when Rita was just taking her anger out on me.

"Are you listening to me, I'm talking to you. Don't you know better than to listen to your elders. In my day, that alone would have gotten a trip across my mother's knee. That is exactly what your problem is, you don't have a mother, she died before you even could use a toilet. I read your file so I know all about your dead mother and lowlife father, being conceived out of wedlock," Nurse Sue said, having no right to insult my family and sure I call my own father deadbeat, but he is still my father and started to just tune her out as the pain medicine was starting to take affect.

"Nurse Sue, I though I told you to leave Alyssa alone? The child has been through a great ordeal and needs to rest and you are just keeping her awake. You are entitled to your own opinions of what you choose to believe, but please keep those opinions to yourself, all your doing is upsetting her and keeping this child from healing in peace," Nurse Bettie said, finally coming back from her lunch break and relieving Nurse Sue; Thank god, she was driving me crazy!

Sorry about her, honey. She means well, but is just a little too opinionated, don't pay her no mind. She just used to be a military nurse, just like your big brother, she won't bother you again. I'll be here all night if you need me and would love to your voice when your ready to talk, but I guess you want to wait for your brother and speaking of your big brother, it seems that a certain brother tried to steal a jet when he learned of you in the hospital so is being held under isolation so they are sending a female officer to fetch you for him, so I thought you would get a smile out of him flying all the way here for his little sister. Get some rest, sweetie," Nurse Bettie said, giving me some medicine to help me sleep, smiling at my brother's actions and knowing him so well as I started drifting to sleep, forgetting all about my worries of Rita and Logan coming after me and my nightmares, just complete darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Though Pete had gotten into trouble for attempting to steal a fire jet and fly all the way to North Carolina to come get me, it was also amusing knowing he was actually going to do it and I so love that about my brother, and though sometimes I doubt his love for me, he always comes through.

I wish they could have gotten someone else to come fetch me besides this stuck up female officer they put on me, refusing to speak unless it was to say some unkind remark though it isn't like I was talking, still refusing to speak, but she did try to get me talking though her attempts only resulted me in tears.

I trying my best not to ignore just counting down the moments when I can depart from her and be rid of her, and I was just glad I only have to ride half way with her, Goose, Pete's buddy is coming to take me the rest of the way to my brother since Pete can't and glad I can depart with her soon as we were almost half way, I just hope Goose won't be too upset when I won't talk; I know Pete has been told of my refusal to speak, but Goose probably hasn't as my brother is in isolation as punishment, but I am just glad he won't be isolated from me and I would just hate to be isolated as punishment and would just rather have a spanking.

"You know, it is rude not to talk. The hospital said there is nothing physically wrong with you so it comes down to misbehavior," mean female officer lady says though I refused to acknowledge her, making her even more frustrated with me, but I heard all of this already; yes, physically I can talk, but mentally and emotionally I don't have it in me, maybe when I see Pete it will be better, I sure hope so.

We finally arrived where Goose was meeting up with us, finally able to get rid of this stuck-up bitch, seeing standing out there waiting for us and glad for it, so I can get away from this awful woman and he could take me to my brother, wanting his comfort right now more than anything after having to deal with her nasty commentary of me.

I was ready to jump out of this plane and risk injury, upset of her comments of me and wanting to get to Pete as soon as possible and didn't seem fair that he was forbidden to come for me because he was stealing a plane to come to my aide even though I know that stealing is wrong and that you shouldn't steal unless necessary, but I just wanted him here with me and it was driving me crazy that he wasn't here.

As soon as we were off the plane, I took off running straight towards Goose and wrapping my arms while bursting into tears; I just couldn't handle any of this anymore and my brother not being here was just making matters worse as all I wanted was Pete, disappointed that my brother couldn't even come to get me after I just been in the hospital, he could have come if he really wanted.

"Allie, what's wrong? What did you say to her to have her so upset besides the obvious reason," Goose said harshly to the female officer who was mean to me, not wanting to be her any longer and just wanting my brother now.

"I didn't say anything but the truth for her which is that there is nothing physically wrong with her so she has no reason not to talk when someone is talking to her and comes down to misbehavior. This is whole abuse thing is ridiculous, so her Mom disciplined her for mouthing off, big deal and all the sudden, it's child abuse," she said, making me cry more, upset that she believed that I deserved what Rita gave me and it was nothing more than punishment when I hardly acknowledge her.

"That woman wasn't her Mom and this wasn't discipline or she would have never have to be hospitalized and I don't think her brother is going to appreciate you telling his ten year old sister that she deserved to be beat by her so called stepmother that doesn't deserve to have that title for what she has done to Alyssa and I can promise you that her brother isn't going to let that awful woman get away with laying a hand on his sister like that so keep your opinions to yourself," Goose said to the female officer that I never bothered to learn her name while I cried, feeling Goose lift me up and walking towards a car to take me to my brother, I hope.

"It's Allie sweetheart, don't cry, she is always mean, you'll be with your big brother soon and I know that he is anxious to see you, check for himself that you are safe and not just take someone else's word for it since he is stuck in isolation until you arrive, that big brother of yours can be quite protective where you are concerned," he said though I wasn't answering him, but it was true what he said about Pete as whenever I was hurt, he would go into overprotective big brother mode and actually surprised that it even took him this long to realize my father only wanted me for the money though he never actually met him and was always away

I felt myself being placed in the backseat of the car and not bothering to say by goodbyes to the lady as Pete always tells me to do, but wasn't really paying attention as I was just so exhausted from all this crying that I have been doing in the past week and it just seems that lately I have been crying over every damn thing and surprised that I had any tears left in me as I would have thought I would have dried out by now and just yesterday I cried over having an accident that was triggered by a nightmare and thought for sure I was going to be hit for it, but they said nothing and just cleaned it up, leaving me to cry on my own.

I was forced to stay at a group home last night as they night me out of the hospital too early until the mean lady came and got me so I didn't sleep to well and scared when I was forced to be locked in a room because that cold nurse told them I was probably a flight risk and needed punishment, making me feel completely trapped and not feeling they cared at all that I was scared of being locked in, being uncaring and emotionless and the reason I had a nightmare last night was because I had to listen to all the screaming; it was awful.

I saw Goose look at me from the from drivers seat while the lady got back on the place as she was being forced to come with us to make sure I arrive to my brother safely, though had claimed said that she could care less who got my hands on me as long as she got paid and if it wasn't for her orders, she would never have agreed to fly out with me and believes that there was nothing wrong with what Rita did to me, saying I deserved to be beat by her and whatever Logan and Noah had planned to do with me which I still don't understand, "Hey Allie Bear, how you doing back. Do you need anything, honey? Have to use the bathroom because once we reach the highway, I won't be able to stop," he told me gently but just shook my head to let him know I didn't need to use the bathroom.

Though I was telling him the truth and didn't have to use the bathroom, I actually was hungry as I didn't have a chance to eat breakfast or lunch as the lady wouldn't let me have a chance to eat and said that she wasn't going to use her own money so that I could have something to eat, stating that I could wait until I got to my Pete and he could be burdened with feeding me so she had forced me to watch while she had a nice meal at the diner and was too scared to ask Goose if I could eat something as I didn't want to be a burden and will just wait until I saw my brother.

I watched as we passed by where my Grandmother used to live, and I haven't been back to the house since she died though I did know that my Aunt and her three children live there now, but Pete and I weren't in contact with her and Pete is not on good terms with her since he had gone back to collect some of our things, leaving me with a babysitter as she was going to toss anything of ours she saw, stating we were not welcome as she apparently didn't want anything to do with us as she and Mom didn't get along and only remember meeting her once when I was four and remember hearing her argue with Grandma about me, blaming me for Mom's death and saying that I should never been born and crying to Pete who said it was not my fault and don't let what she said get me down when I was always a gift to him.

I knew that Pete had some of my things, remembering him leaving some things in storage since our Aunt would not allow us to still leave our things at Grandma's, saying this was no longer our home so I know whatever I had accidently left behind got thrown out, but Pete said he got to most of our things before she could do too much damage though hardly have any to really miss much and Pete says I much too sacrificing and should do something for myself.

A half hour later, I watched as Goose pull into a gas station, wondering if maybe he didn't have to go and was just using me as a excuse, "Well I don't know about you, Allie Bear but I have to go bad and know I am not going to make it back to the navy base so why don't you give it a shot and than we can some snacks for the road because you seem hungry and don't you lie because I have a three year old and know when a child is hungry," Goose told me and giving me that no nonsense look that I sometimes got with my brother that I don't dare to challenge and know Pete won't be happy if I don't do as I am told, especially with Goose so nod my head and get out of the car with him, taking his hand.

It didn't take us long and was glad to have a snack so that I could eat something as I really was hungry and Goose made me get something to drink, not wanting me to be dehydrated before we got to the base though apparently Pete had Goose stopping at his storage to take some of my things out for me so I would feel more safe that was nearby so wasn't going out of his way to take me to get some of my treasures that would have never thought of going back for and it was the little things that my brother remembered that made me believe he truly loves me though I can't deny feeling that because of me, I was going to just ruin his life.

I felt bad for not talking as he was always so nice to me whenever I was visiting my brother for a few days, but still couldn't seem to find my voice as I was one that was well known for voicing their opinion to anyone that would listen and even a few that didn't really want to listen and always had a story to tell, but now, I couldn't even find it in me to speak and I was normally very hyperactive as Pete would say and was constantly driving him crazy, at least until he decided to leave and hardly ever visit and wish he could see just how sad and lonely I was without him since Grandma died and worried he was going to blame what happened on me too.

My father is mostly the reason why I have so little because he is always spending all his money on alcohol and gambling, leaving nothing else for us to live on even with the check he gets every month for caring for me so he is always stealing my belongings and selling them just so he could buy more alcohol for himself, not realizing he had a small child to feed and was going without meals almost everyday because he didn't have money to get food so most days I had to wait to get to school just so I could eat, sometimes even passing out from hunger and my brother never knew I was sometimes going hungry as I had always told him that my father took good care of me, scared what my father would do if I told the truth though I guess it doesn't matter now.

It didn't take us long to get to Pete's storage unit where he kept our things, grabbing a few of my stuffed animals that always make me feel at home and remind me of my Grandma, and also grabbing my blanket that I had stopped sleeping with when I was four though feel the need to have it back again, knowing that Pete would never have left it behind as even though I no longer needed it, he also knew I was still attached to it and would be devastated if anything had happened to it and after everything that had happened in the last few days, I feel the need to use it again.

I fell asleep on the way to the Navy Base where Goose was taking me to Pete, wondering why he wasn't on a ship and hope that it wasn't because of me, because I would hate to be the reason as why he isn't at sea because he loves being in the air, saying that is how he keeps close to his father and knowing he sometimes feels the burden on his shoulder of what happened to him as many take what happened to his father out on him which doesn't seem right, but nothing ever seems right anymore and right now, I just want my brother as he always knows just how to make me feel better.

I could hear voices outside the car, but didn't care and knew that they weren't going to hurt me as Goose was right next to me, so we probably arrived at the Navy Base as it had only been a hour away from Pete's storage unit and had drifted off from the long day and not having enough sleep last night as I spent most of last night panicked from being locked in and having to be forcefully drugged to calm me down, hoping that Pete was one of the voices I was hearing outside the car.

I heard someone open the backdoor and tensed up even though I knew that no one was going to hurt me as I felt them lift me up into their arms and at first I started to panic, scared of where they were taking me and what they were planning on doing to me but sensed a familiar comfort and smelled of aftershave and cologne,...Pete as he was the only one that ever made me feel safe like that and I always knew when it was him even when I was half asleep and he would carry me, I just always knew.

"It's all right, Allie honey, it's only me. I have you, no one else is going to hurt you, baby," I heard Pete softly say to me, sending words of comfort to me that always made me feel safe and why I love him so much and even though I sometimes doubt his love, he always gives me a reason to know that he loves me again and sometimes that is all I ever need as I laid my head down on his shoulder in comfort and drifted off to sleep, letting him carry me inside as I knew I was going to be safe with him watching out for me, just like he has always done.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up to a light as it was light out now, being used to waking up early in the morning as I always wanted to get out of house before anyone else in the house woke so was not used to not having the fear of having to rush to get out house.

I noticed that Pete wasn't around, probably thought I would be sleeping for a while and was dreading actually facing him as I knew he was going to want to know why I didn't tell him about how my father and his wife actually treated me, but I couldn't tell him because he would want me to live with him and I would just be a burden to him as I knew there was no way he would be Fire Pilot and take care of me on his own.

I am actually worried about what was going to happen to me now because they may be letting me stay with Pete for the time but I know that technically it wasn't allowed and due to the trauma of what happened, but knew I couldn't stay with him full time while he was still in the Navy.

I just stayed in bed, laying under the covers while wondering where Pete was and if he was going to leave me, I was scared he didn't want me as he always seemed to care more about his reputation than keeping in contact with me most of time and was always too busy when I would be call him.

I heard the door open which caught me by surprise and Pete walked him, already in his Navy uniform, probably having been awake for a while now, holding breakfast as he placed it on the table before looking over at me and gave me a smile when he finally noticed that I was awake.

"Hey Allie-Kat, about time you woke up, I've been bored without my favorite girl to entertain me and you know what happens when I get too bored," he said, sitting on the bed beside me while still drowsy though do remember a few of his stunts he has done because he was bored and Grandma nearly had a stroke with him.

I gave him a smile that did not quite reach my eyes, I haven't given a real smile in a good long time and not sure I remember exactly how to give one as I am so used to giving out those fake smiles and pretending like everything was alright, when really I was being beat in my home while almost everyone that knew, looked the other way and pretended like they didn't know.

This is one thing that I love so much about Pete, he will never force me to smile and pretend everything was alright, like my father did and I want to give him one of my famous smiles that he loves so much, I just don't know if I still have it in me and just hope he isn't too disappointed in me for letting my father hurt me like this.

I am scared that he is upset with me for letting them hurt me and I should have done something to stop them even if I was smaller than them and would hold me down and want to ask Pete more than anything what they had been trying to do with me that night, but afraid he might get mad at me.

I saw that look on his face when I didn't laugh at his comment as I usually laugh, feeling alone even with my brother right next to me and wanting to just be told that everything was alright and wanted to know what I did that was so wrong for my father's wife to beat me as she did, was I really bad as that bitch nurse claimed I was, maybe I didn't deserve Pete who probably doesn't want me as my father said he wouldn't.

Pete was hardly ever serious and I can only name a small handful of times when he actually did get serious, and usually he is always trying to make me laugh and feel better, especially with always being depressed for living with a father that doesn't care.

I know that there were a few times that him and Grandma had actually spoken to my former social worker, Carl, because they were worried about my mental health and feeling that my father wasn't caring for me properly.

Of course, he always brushed them off and claimed that I was probably just trying to cause trouble as when I was six, I had told Grandma that my father wouldn't always let me eat and he said I was lying even if I had told him on multiple occasions that he hurt me, he never listened to me which is why I had tried going to my brother and Grandma, hoping they would have listened.

It wasn't that they hadn't listened because after Grandma heard this, she tried to get custody of me again, worried about how I was being treated and that my father was just using me to get money from the government which was the truth, but the judge claimed that there was no proof as I wasn't a reliable witness and continued to force me to live with my father and be abused.

My father did not take it lightly that I said something to my Grandma what he does to me as I was not supposed to tell anyone and had beat me something awful to make sure that I never told her or my brother ever again and it was after that beating that I had started to stay away from the house while he was there with some new girlfriend who would hurt me as much as he did.

He forced me to tell my Grandma that I had lied, making her believe that I just wanted to come back home again to live with her and Pete though she had scolded and spanked me for lying to her, I had a feeling she didn't believe me when I had told her that I lied and she always believed that I was telling her the truth and only punished me because I was lying.

She never did say anything to me after that even though she would at times, try to get me to admit to her that he was hurting me, but I was more afraid of what my father would do if I told her again as he said if I ever told again, he would make Grandma and Pete disappear.

I know that if she was still alive that she would definitely be glad that I was now away from that horrid man, believing even though I told her I lied, that he was abusing me and that I wasn't being well- cared for in that house with him which she was right.

I looked up at Pete who was looking down at me as I sensed he wanted to pick me up like he has always done but was also worried about how I would react to him touching me as I was still a little jumpy at being touched.

"Well, I was just given a few days off so why don't we get you dressed and go out and get you some new clothes. Goose said that your clothes didn't fit right on you when he picked you up earlier. He also said the female Leiutenant made you cry. Don't listen to her, she isn't friendly to anyone," Pete said, brushing my blonde hair out of my face.

I just nodded my head at him as I allowed him to lift me up, realizing I was in my old pair of pajamas pants and one of Pete's old shirts so my brother must have changed me at some point to put me to bed as I only remember him carrying me out of the car when I had fallen asleep on the drive here.

I saw the sad look when he I didn't respond or react to anything he said and saw a worry look cross his face when I clung to him and I never was one to be clingy, sure, I liked being able to sit on his lap, but I was never clingy, I just missed him and it was always something I did as it made me feel safe from my father.

There was a part of me that wonders that maybe I did deserve what Rita did to me as I had been running my mouth off again which was something that I had of Pete's as that was what mostly everyone keeps telling me, but another part is saying she had no right to touch me as she wasn't my mother.

I just wanted to cling to Pete all day and because of Rita, I couldn't enjoy the time I have with my brother because there is no way I am going to be allowed to stay with him while he is still aboard, even if I was technically in his legal custody, I was probably going to have to stay somewhere else until he is out of the Navy.

I didn't want to be anywhere but with him and didn't want him to leave me yet, I wasn't ready to let him go and probably why I was clinging to him like he was leaving as every time I had to leave after visiting, I would always cry and throw a fit, hoping that it would get him to stay though all that got me was a sore bottom.

I normally would be against him dressing as I was no toddler, but as I wouldn't let him go and still in some pain in my lower back, I let him help me out of my nightwear and let him change me into some loose purple skirt and blouse before letting him lift me up again.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go get something to eat," he said, carrying me after putting some old shoes on for me that didn't really fit me too well anymore but was afraid of saying anything to Pete about my shoes not fitting me because when I had mentioned it to my father, he slapped me across the face and said he wasn't wasting any money on me.

I wanted to ask him why he wasn't on the ship as he still had more than six months left, but couldn't find my voice as I hid my face in his shoulder as people dressed in Navy uniforms were giving me odd looks, probably wondering what a child was doing here.

I don't like people staring and giving me all sort of attention, it makes me feel like I am being put on the spot and when I was younger and I was feeling pressures even if it was something as simple as answering a question, I would start crying.

I used to be real sensitive as a child due to being abused by my father that I know had always concerned Grandma and Pete as I hadn't been that sensitive when I had been living with them and probably why Grandma suspected abuse long before I said anything to her until my father had enough of my crying and beat it out of me.

I still am sensitive about most things but because of my father, I had learned to hide it well and not let him know when I am being sensitive as it would only e arn me another beating from him though would sometimes let it out for Grandma or Pete, when he had been around which always concerned them and hated I made them worry like that, causing me more distress.

That was how I got into art as I needed a way to get some of it out of my system that didn't involve being hit by my father every night and teachers had started to suspect him of abuse and know at least one of my teachers reported him, though not sure if it was ever investigated as my social worker never believed me.

He always believed that I was making it up as he knew that I didn't like living with my father and thought I was telling lies so I could go back to living with Grandma and Pete, so never even reported that to his supervisor as he was supposed to though he didn't really like kids and never understood why he wanted to work around them and told me he would spank me himself if I told Grandma or Pete anything else.

I always thought that I had been bad when I had told Grandma that my father would sometimes hurt me as that is what is what my social worker said, making me think it was something I had did wrong to make my father hurt me like he did and to let his wife beat me the way she did, so after that one time, I kept quiet scared that Grandma or Pete would say I was being bad.

I felt Pete stop from still carrying me though was still hiding in his shoulder as I didn't like those Navy people staring at me and was too scared to tell Pete that I didn't like them staring at me, fearing he would get mad at me for saying something like that as I felt him place me on his feet and took his hand, needing the physical contact and comfort he gave me.

I hated that I was skittish and nervous even around Pete when he is the one person that I loved the most and know that he wouldn't hurt me, sure, he may have spanked a handful of times as I was growing up, though nothing more than what my Grandma gave me, but I know that he wouldn't hurt me, not like my father and Rita did though after everything that has happened, I was anxious around anyone.

I felt Pete lean down to my level and backed away in fear on instinct and felt bad when I saw his face, hating that I had hurt his feelings like that when I didn't mean to, I just can't help but feel scared now and hate that about myself, hating that I felt so weak when all that I wanted was to hug him and not let go.

Normally when it was time to come visit my brother, I would be so exited about the upcoming visit that I would literally be bouncing off the walls and not even my father could bring me down who would hit me a few times just to try to shut me up though I was always too wired to let him even get me and now, I am scared of him letting my own brother get too close to me.

"Baby, I would never hurt you the way that you did, you know that, right? I may have put you over my knee a few times, but that doesn't mean I would ever hurt you. What they did was wrong and I promise you that you will never have to see them again, not if you don't want to, but do you understand the difference between what you did and getting a spanking," he asked me, holding my hand but also keeping a distance so I would feel safe.

I shrugged at him as I did slightly understand from the years as I recall what my father would do to me in anger because I would annoy him too much and how my brother would spank me when I had misbehaved, like the time I had played with fire and spanked me good with that evil wooden spoon that my Grandma always kept in the house that even Pete got at times when he pushed Grandma too far.

"Let me ask you this, when Grandma or I had spanked you, did we ever do it when we were angry at you or did we send you to the corner for a bit so we wouldn't spank you in anger? Did we ever take pleasure in causing you pain or hearing you cry because I know that it broke my heart having to hear you cry. Did we spank you so hard that it caused you injury and have you in pain for days," Pete asked me, as I realized they never did that, even when I almost caused a fire because I played with matches and had gotten a spanking from each of them, but they never really hurt me, not like Rita or my father which is something I know that I could always count on.

I know that Pete loves me and just wants what is best for me and cares about me enough to actually punish me which is something I don't think that my father has ever done, he just beats me when he is bored or angry that his hours got cut because he was drinking on the job again and needed something to take his anger out on.

I felt my emotions coming up as tears started falling out of my eyes again which seems all that I do now is cry as I felt him lift me back up and let me cry it out on his shoulder, mumbling comforting words in my ear, not really paying attention to what he was saying, "It's alright, Allie. I won't have them hurting you and as long as you have me, you will always be safe and that is a promise and I never break my promises to you," he said, comforting me as he held me close as he had never once broken a promise to me and when he makes a promise to me, he always keeps it no matter what and that is something I could always count on as I held my brother close and saying the first thing since this all started that made my brother smile, "I love you, bubba, to the moon and back."


	6. Chapter 6

I felt guilty that Pete was buying me all these new clothes that I didn't even deserve to have and spending all his money on me, despite him claiming that I didn't need to worry about money, he was the big brother and it was his job to take care of me, telling me that I didn't need to worry about anything and just let myself be a child.

We just got back from shopping and right now, I was sitting outside the office of Pete's Admiral while they were inside talking though it sounded more like yelling to me as I wasn't allowed inside as my brother thought I was too young to stay by myself for a few minutes without causing trouble, but I think he was just being protective because of what happened.

Because of what happened, I was terrified of being alone and didn't want to be alone as I was scared that as soon as I was alone, Rita or my father were going to show up to take me away from my brother and hurt me again, even though I knew there was no chance that they could get on a Navy base without being seen, I was still scared.

It didn't help that I had no idea what was going on as all that I knew was that there was going to be some kind of trial, but Pete won't tell me anything, he doesn't think I can handle it right now as he was worried I was going to have a breakdown or something, just telling me that my father or Rita can't get to me but he won't tell me the details either.

I really wish Pete would now because it seems that lunch is over and all these navy people that were dressed in uniform just like my brother is were walking around, and they just couldn't help but stare at me and wished my brother would just come back so that he will make them stop staring at me and were afraid that they were going to hurt me too.

The door the office banged loudly open as the Admiral stormed out, seeming annoyed which made me cringe in fear, almost like I thought he was going to come after because he looks how my father does when he was coming after me with his belt after some of his hours had gotten cut again because someone caught him drinking on the job again.

Pete walked out, looking bothered by something and wanted to give him some of my cheery personality that I know he loves so much and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but I couldn't bring myself be cheery, even for him after everything that happened, it was like after Rita took away my spirit when she beat me, like I didn't have anymore fight left in me.

My brother glanced down at me where I was patiently waiting for him to say something as he seemed so lost in thought about something which was so unlike him as he hardly ever worries about anything, and just prefers to spring into action, no matter what the consequenses are which is probably why is always getting in some kind of trouble in the Navy as he was always pulling off crazy stunts, which was why it was so weird to see him like this, he is never this quiet.

"Come on sweetie, we have a few more stops before lunch. Are you up meeting up with Goose? His wife and son are down for a visit, remember Miss Carol, you met her last year and they were asking about you and I'll be right next to you," Pete asked me as he took my hand which was getting us some odd looks which was making me nervous, but I don't think Pete has noticed yet or he would have made some comment.

I vaguely remember Miss Carol as I had been too shy to really talk to her and had mostly hid behind my brother's legs the whole time she was there, and I think I upset her by doing that even though both Pete and Goose had told me not to worry and Pete just thinks I wasn't ready to meet her yet as I get scared being around new people as it took me a while to even warm up to Goose and didn't say a word to him for six months.

It wasn't so much that I didn't know Carol that made me nervous, but with the exception of my Grandmother, the only other female in my life had been Rita so I have issues with other females, scared that they were all going to put on a bright face for me, only to turn sour as soon as I trust them, making me wonder if there was anyone that I could trust that wouldn't want to hurt me.

I just nodded even though I wasn't sure I was ready to be around all these people as I wanted to please him and make him proud, hoping that I don't have a meltdown half way through which is more like what was going to happen and Pete was going to find out I wasn't being honest, but I just for all this pain to go away, pretending that this whole thing never happened.

I still wasn't even sure what was going to happen to me now that I can't live with father anymore as my case worker finally believed what my Grandmother had been telling them and that I hadn't been lying when I had told them I was being abused, and I couldn't live with Pete if he was still serving six more months aboard a ship and was only here because he was in some special flight school for being the best, sometimes I believe he was full of it, but I would never tell him that.

From the looks that I was getting from other naval officers, I could easily tell that they weren't exactly happy that I was here though I think Pete was trying to cover that up for my sake, but I wasn't stupid and wonder where my brother was going to ship me off to until he got off his ship, hating the thought of being separated from him for even a moment.

I didn't want to leave him, he promised me that Rita and my father would have to go through if they wanted to get to me, even though he says there was no way they could even get on a navy base, but how can he protect me if he is on the other side of the world who will never get to me in time if they decide to get revenge on me or something, but he only mentioned Rita and my father, he never said anything about her sons, what happened to them?

I know he was just trying to protect by not telling me anything, but it wasn't doing me any good as it was only making my imagination run wild with different scenarios of what could be happening, none of them that end well with me, but nothing could hurt me more than they have already done, but Pete wasn't going to tell me anything unless he had to, he thinks I been through enough as it was.

I knew that I wasn't going to change his mind and it didn't help that I still suffering from post traumatic stress as the doctors at the hospital had said, but refused any drugs that the doctors tried to give me as I didn't trust them, only biting them and throwing a fit when they tried to force me which only fueled that mean nurse's insisting that I was acting out for attention and should be sent back to my stepmother to be punished.

I was tired and it was getting exhausted following my brother around while he did his errands as it didn't look like he really had a day off and he could see I was getting tired running all over with him, promising me I could have a rest after lunch which I was probably going to be too exhausted to care that Goose and his wife were coming to lunch with us, I would probably end up following asleep at the table.

I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going or even what my brother was up to, when this could be the only time that I could see what my brother does though this hasn't been my first visit to a Navy base as Pete had always arranged for me to visit at least once a year which was all my father would ever allow, believing that I was just visiting Grandma, still not knowing that she passed though never told Pete that which was sure to come out.

I knew that if my father knew that Grandma had died, he would stop allowing me to visit my brother as he hated Pete, believing that my brother was the reason that I had turned against him, wanting to cut off all ties I had with him so that he could control me better as he thinks it was Pete's doing, when in reality, my brother had nothing to do with it, I was smarter than my father ever gave me credit for and if he ever had given me any time of his day, he would know that.

I felt Pete let go of my hand which pulled me out of my thoughts, realizing that I had been letting my mind wander again which I seem to be doing a lot of that lately, and wanting for everything to just be alright, but nothing was ever going to be the same, I was felt that something was different about me, something that I could never get back which was what has been bothering me the most.

I haven't told Pete about this feeling I had, but I still wasn't really talking to him yet, with the exception of only a few short words and that was only when we were alone and not in public and Pete was talking about me some kind of doctor, I think he called him a 'child psychologist' to apparently help me deal with being traumatized, but didn't really know what that is and not sure how I felt with being alone with a stranger, even if he was a doctor.

I followed Pete who kept glancing at me every few seconds to make sure I was right behind him which I fought the urge roll my eyes at his protectiveness, but didn't really bother me too much, because at least I knew that he cared, unlike my own father who just watched while Rita beat me, ignoring my screams while Logan and Noah, the ones that messed with me the most, messed around for 'practice' as they called it.

I was usually barely conscious after Rita would be finished with me though she never broken anything before now as I looked the purple cast on my arm that felt heavier as I thought about I came to get it, so that left Logan and Noah to do whatever they wanted to do with me as Rita had told them they could do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't cause unwanted attention as they still needed my government check that my father gets for taking care of me.

I don't really ever understand what is that they do to me, but I vaguely remember and I think they have drugged me in the past so that they can mess with me, sometimes messing with me even when Rita hasn't beat me or 'punish me' as she sees it, I was just her punching bag, and they just think I wouldn't remember any of it that left me feeling dirty as the drugs left me me unable to move and vulnerable.

I had blamed myself as there must of been something that I could have done, despite the tree of them being bigger than me and wondering why they didn't love me as I must of done something wrong for my father to let this happen and never lift as much as a finger to help me, those swats he gave me was as much as he has ever done, mostly leaving the actual parenting to my Grandma or Pete.

I also believed that if Grandma or Pete loved me more, maybe they could have gotten me away from my father and Rita sooner or maybe if Grandma hadn't been so worried or stressed about what was happening to me, she wouldn't have given herself a heart attack and would be alive today, and then maybe Pete would loved me more because he must blame me for not only killing Grandma, but being born as because of me, he not only lost his own father that he didn't even get a chance to grieve, but also his mother as she died giving birth to me because of the stress of losing her husband.

I was never even told how she came to know my father, it was a question that had always been avoided by Grandma and Pete as they obviously knew how I had been born, but just didn't want to tell me, almost like they were trying to protect me from something, but the bigger question is what they were trying to protect from, what could be so horrible for them to keep from knowing the truth?

"Allie," I heard my brother's voice say, pulling me out of my distressed thoughts which I could see the concern and worry written all over his as my brother was never good at keeping his emotions hidden, not as well as he thinks he does, but never had it beat into him like I had as I always pulled a good face for, but now that he has learned the truth about what happened, he was starting to see through my cracks in the wall I keep around me.

"Baby, I need to go talk to my advisor real quick as Admiral has decided to be a dick. I promise to not be as long as I was with him, I know this isn't real fun, but as soon as I am finished, we will go have lunch with Goose, then we can walk around the base for a while so I can show you all the cool stuff I do, will you like that," Pete asked me as I nodded, wanting him to just know how excited I was to see what he does, but didn't know how to express it to him.

I watched him go inside to talk to some guy who looked like someone that I wouldn't want to mess with as I let my eyes wander, actually noticing my surroundings for the first time since I got here which has caused me to get distracted, noticing the little things, like they could use more paint on the walls; seriously, what was with army people and white paint, it was too dull for my liking.

I had the urge to want to make artwork of my own, but I doubt Pete would like that too much when I was supposed to be staying out of trouble even though he technically didn't tell me not to paint the wall, it will most likely end with me having a sore bottom for lunch and certainly not something I want to endure.

I glance at the office that Pete entered as I found myself back and fourth down the hallway with some naval officers giving me odd looks at times, though none had the nerve to approach me, though I wonder if they knew who I was as I wasn't exactly sure how well known my brother was and doubt he talked too much about me, he liked to keep his family life private from his Naval career, he says it was his way of protecting me as living on a Naval base is almost like being in high school which can sometimes be cruel.

I know Pete told me to stay put, but I just couldn't help, I had to wander and it wasn't like I was leaving the building and I was only going down one hallway over, I'm sure he won't mind too much and I always went off on my own when I lived with my father and Rita, I wasn't used to being monitered so closely and didn't like the idea of being babied, telling me I was too little to go off on my own, I was ten.

I decided not to push my brother anymore today when he was already doing so much for me as it is as he was probably already out of his advisors office by now and freaking out, so decided not to worry him which was most likely going to get me a few swats for not listening as I turned around to go back, when I realized something, I had no idea where I was.

Uh oh, Pete was going to kill me.


End file.
